


Movie Night

by wheel_pen



Series: Viridian Mal [12]
Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fish out of Water, Gen, Imprinting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-15
Updated: 2013-04-15
Packaged: 2017-12-08 14:28:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/762391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheel_pen/pseuds/wheel_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trip should have thought longer before taking Mal to a scary movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Movie Night

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Viridians appear human, but are actually aliens who imprint on other people (Viridian or otherwise) and form a bond with them. They also live their entire life cycle in about six Earth years.
> 
> 2\. In each series, a different character is a Viridian, who was raised by mean Klingons on an outpost. An Enterprise crewmember is captured by the Klingons and they inadvertently form a bond with the Viridian, who helps them escape. Then they return to rescue the Viridian and bring them aboard the Enterprise. The Viridian homeworld is contacted and the Enterprise crew learn the Viridian will most likely die if they are sent away. So they end up staying on the Enterprise, and the crewmember has to adjust.
> 
> 3\. The bad words are censored. That’s just how I do things.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this AU. I own nothing and appreciate the chance to play in this universe.

            Trip laughed heartily and tossed a handful of popcorn into his mouth as the mutant monster zombie on screen dispatched with yet another hapless victim. The classic horror movies he preferred weren't necessarily that gory, just atmospheric enough to wind him up a little; then he always felt a little foolish and laughed at himself for being afraid of what was _clearly_ some guy in a rubber creature suit, zipper and all.

            He stole a glance at the dark-haired man in the seat beside him and frowned a little. Mal was staring at the screen with what Trip considered an unhealthy intensity, barely breathing really, and he'd hardly touched his popcorn since the freakish alien beast had appeared in the story. "Are you enjoying this?" he whispered, leaning over to Mal's ear.

            Mal started a little bit, then jerked his head towards Trip, eyes huge in the dark room. He nodded quickly—too quickly, Trip thought—and turned back to the screen. Shrugging Trip returned his attention to the movie, chuckling as another pair of dimwitted teenagers made the fateful decision to park their vehicle along a dark road for a little "privacy." He'd seen the movie four or five times; but even if he hadn't, he knew that was just a _baaaaaaad_ idea.

            Sure enough, as the couple began to kiss—rather chastely, really, compared to the movies that had been released in the intervening two hundred years—something rustled in the bushes near their car. The couple kept necking. A blocky shadow slithered towards them—or rather, sort of dragged and jerked, as the rubber creature suit was apparently too heavy for the man inside to really slither effectively. "Oh, Johnny," sighed the girl adoringly as Johnny allegedly kissed her neck—the actors were positioned such that you really couldn't see what he was doing anyway. The corner of something large and lumpy rose up before the side of the car. The girl opened her eyes with a dreamy smile, staring over her boyfriend's shoulder. Then she saw the large lumpy thing outside the car, her eyes widened, and she screamed at the top of her not-inconsiderable lungs.

            The bowl of popcorn Mal had been holding between them went flying as he dove for the carpet. Before Trip could even blink Mal was on his knees before him, face buried against Trip's leg, clutching him like a drowning man with a tree branch. Fortunately about half the audience had had a similar reaction—minus the dropping to the floor, that is—so Mal's behavior was _slightly_ less noticeable.

            "It's horrible," Mal muttered into Trip's thigh. "I can't watch anymore! It's awful!"

            "Would you calm down?" Trip hissed at him, patting Mal awkwardly on the head in an attempt to soothe him. "It's just a movie! It's not real."

            A movement to his right drew Trip's attention and he saw an ensign whose name he couldn't remember quickly turning away from them. Trip yanked Mal off him by the collar of his pullover. Mal let out a whine that drew several stares, which Trip tried to smile and nod off, all the while attempting to drag Mal back up to his seat. Mal was having none of it, though, and after some tussling they "compromised" with Mal curled under Trip's chair (as well as several others), twined around his legs and resolutely not watching the movie. Trip had to admit the rest of the picture was ruined for him.

            About an hour later the lights came up, people laughed about the movie with each other, and Trip took a few congratulations on his well-received choice while trying to untangle himself from Mal, who had a death grip on Trip's ankles.

            "Great movie, Commander!" Travis told him enthusiastically, arm around a pretty young ensign who was shaking her head a little.

            "Glad you liked it," Trip replied, trying to grin appreciatively. His position as the only person in the room still seated was becoming more and more conspicuous, though Travis didn't appear to notice as he left with his date. "Mal!" Trip ground out, trying to dig his fingers between Mal's palm and his own ankle, "let go already!"

            "You appear to be having some difficulty, Commander," a voice observed coolly, and Trip sighed as he looked up into the impassive face of the First Officer.

            "T'Pol," he said with some genuine surprise, still bent over in his chair. "Um, I didn't expect to see _you_ at Movie Night." He tugged on Mal's wrist, to no avail.

            "I am attempting to gain a greater understanding of humanity by studying examples of their classic cinema," the Vulcan reported. Her pause was almost imperceptible. "Unfortunately I seem to have chosen the incorrect evening."

            Trip barely registered the put-down of his movie selection. "Yeah, well, it's not to everyone's taste... Mal, g-------t!" Trip gave up trying to extricate himself and flopped back in the chair, thoroughly aggravated.

            "Do you require assistance?" T'Pol queried.

            Trip chuckled mirthlessly. "You got a crowbar handy?"

            T'Pol raised an eyebrow, then dropped gracefully to a crouch. "Mal," she began firmly. "It is not logical for you to be frightened by the portrayal of such an unlikely scenario. Especially given its poor execution."

            "Hey!" Trip exclaimed, slightly offended.

            "It was _terrifying_ ," Mal replied defiantly, voice thick.

            Trip immediately felt like an a-s. Here he was, laughing and having a good time, while Mal was cowering under his chair in fear. "You're too d—n sensitive," Trip told him, but in a softer tone. Mal released him just long enough to squirm up on his knees and throw himself at Trip, face pressed against his stomach, arms locked around his waist. T'Pol rose to her full height, giving Trip a look that might have said, _My work here is done_.

            "Thanks," the engineer told her dryly. "This is a lot better." He tried to get his arms under Mal's to leverage him up. "Mal, would you just—Come on, let go, and we'll go back to the cabin, okay?"

            "What if there's a horrible creature in the hallway?" Mal asked earnestly, gazing up at Trip.

            "Okay, one, there's _not_ ," Trip tried to explain to him, "and two, it was just a guy _dressed_ as a horrible creature—"

            "Quite obviously," T'Pol added unhelpfully.

            "I don't care," Mal mumbled against Trip's shirt.

            Trip sighed. Okay, now it was just becoming ridiculous. The maintenance staff were starting to stare—or maybe they were glaring because of all the popcorn on the floor. Either way, Trip wanted to escape, and _soon_.

            "Did you hear that noise?" T'Pol asked suddenly. She was staring at the far corner of the Mess Hall, which was still cloaked in shadow.

            "What noise?" Trip asked, listening for the telltale signs of mechanical difficulty.

            "It came from that corner," she indicated with a nod. "I believe it might be described as a _rustle_. It appeared to be accompanied by the motion of some large, irregular object in this direction, although the lighting is too poor--" T'Pol didn't even get to finish her description before Mal was on his feet, chairs scattering as he plowed through them, Trip dragged along behind him. She merely raised an eyebrow thoughtfully before exiting the Mess Hall herself.           


End file.
